Good morning! I don’t have a workout for you today, but I still want to talk workouts with you. Sound ok? Good! As we approach and start a new year, it’s natural for us to think ahead to things we want to change and accomplish over that next year, right? I’ve never been one for resolutions- mostly because as soon as I put a rule or label around something, it makes me want it more- and this year I’m not even really focusing on specific goals, but, with that said, I have been thinking about what types of workouts I want to focus on this year and how I want to learn and grow.
Last year was a big growth year for me in terms of exploring new areas of fitness (kettlebells, barbell heavier lifting, more indoor cycling, etc.), learning to take and appreciate the importance of rest days and cutting myself a freaking break when it came to backing off of workouts and taking it easy. Was any of this easy to do? Hell no! But does it get easier as I go? Sure does! I’m getting more comfortable with kettlebells (still have a long way to go here, though) and venturing to the weight lifting section of the gym, I’m loving my rest days and I’m getting better at taking my workouts day by day, listening to my body and knowing that a few extra rest days or lighter workouts are not going to ruin all of the hard work and hours I’ve put in at the gym. It’s a really good feeling and something that’s fun to work towards!
With that said, even though I don’t have any goal-specific plans with regards to my fitness journey this year, I do have some thoughts on things I would like to do/learn/get better at. Right now, I’m having a blast learning new lifts and just getting more comfortable under the barbell. I still have a long way to go here, but every time I learn something new or get a new PR I feel more and more comfortable, which is exactly the type of motivation I need to keep going! Although I’ll always love cardio, I think it’s time for it to take a bit of a backseat for a good part of the first part of the year. With wedding planning, time will be limited so my workouts will likely have to be shortened, but that’s ok because you can get a great strength/HIIT/metabolic resistance type of workout done in less than 30 minutes and feel totally spent 🙂
Once the wedding is over, I’d like to attend more trainings and certifications and spinning is first on the list! I have gotten so much better at spinning, but I would love to really start mastering it so that I can add it to my teaching repertoire. I’d also love to take a kettlebell training course so that I can learn how to properly execute the basic moves. These are things I really enjoy, so I figure it’s wroth investing the time and money to make sure I know what I’m doing!
As far as physical goals & strength goals with regards to numbers, I don’t really have any. Last year I had a few goals: 10 unassisted pull-ups/chin-ups and 10 chest to floor push-ups. Did I get there? Well, not entirely. Most days I can do 4-5 chin-ups, but I’ve never gotten further than that. Do I think I could? Sure, with more practice, but I just kind of lost interest in that goal after a bit. When it comes to chest to floor push-ups, this is a give or take, depending on the day. Some days I feel strong and can do 10 of these in a row, other days I struggle to get 3-4 good ones, but the thing about fitness is that’s just how it goes. It’s not a linear process; there are days where you max out, PR, etc. but then the next day you may struggle to do half as much as you did the day before. That’s just the way it works, so realizing and accepting that has made life so much easier 🙂
I’d love to hear from you, though- do you have any fitness related goals this year? New PR for squats, chest press, deadlift, 5K, triathalon, etc.? Did you reach any goals you made last year? What are you most proud of with regards to your health/fitness over the past year?
I hope wherever you are in your health/fitness journey. and wherever you plan on going with it, you do it with love and compassion. You are so much more than the number on a scale, the number on the weight rack or the number on the treadmill! Health and fitness is (or at least should be) a lifelong journey- there will be high points and there will be low points- but at the end of the day, if you are consistent and keep at it, you’ll gain so much more than a new PR or a toned physique. You’ll gain confidence and a sense of empowerment that will carry on with you through all your other life adventures (good and bad) outside of the weight room. Appreciate where you are right now, and keep an open mind to all the places you can go if you put your mind to it!
Burpees to Bubbly 
Love this! I think it’s so important to remember that progress won’t always go forward, and you have to try not to get discouraged by this! I didn’t set a bunch of lifting goals for this year like I have in the past, but I am still chasing my 250 lb DL. I pulled 240 a couple of weeks ago, so I’m allllllmost there!
Thanks Steph! It’s funny that we had very similar post themes this week, but it’s such an important message and good reminder, especially at this time of the year! You are so close- Can’t wait for you to hit it!
Love this post! It’s refreshing to hear such a healthy perspective on goals and resolutions. I’m not one for resolutions either (in fact, I’m not a fan of them) – I love goal setting at ANY time of the year, not just when a new one rolls around.
My goals for last year weren’t met at all (too much going on in my personal life that was unpredictable!) but I’m working on one of those goals right now: PT certification. My goals for this year are to pass that cert test and work hard towards getting a full-time job in the corporate wellness field. It’s a huge work in progress, but I’m taking it one step at a time. Happy new year, lady! 🙂
I totally agree- my goals change throughout the year and as I reach them or decide it’s not something I want to fight for or work on. PT certification has been on my list for a while, but for now I need to focus on wedding planning 🙂 you have already made so many strides towards your new career goals- can’t wait to see what this year has in store for you! happy new year!
Since the gym is not in my budget anymore, I’m looking to be able to get to spin/hot yoga every couple of weeks and maybe add another workout dvd program to my rotation. I need warm weather to come back so I can keep up my daily walking mileage! I still do about 2-3miles with the dogs every night but I can’t take Wes out as much in the cold weather, especially with the stroller. Grrr
You’re so good about making the best of workouts without a gym membership! And adding spin/hot yoga every few weeks is such a good way to change things up. I’ve noticed that even though I try to be active, the cold weather just naturally makes it harder to be that way. Hopefully you guys can have some nice days so you can at least get out for a little bit!
Great post, lady! And I also want to say “kudos!” to you for working on being “ok” with rest days and finding out how much, in fact, they help in the physical manner not just the emotional manner. I made that decision a few years ago and it made all the difference. Lastly, I just thought I’d share this because it REALLY helped me with push-ups. Whenever I take a group class and they make us do a zillion push-ups, I make it my goal to never go to my knees. After I started implementing that method, I was able to bust out 20+ chest to floor push ups in a row. My thought process was that even if I could only do 2 or so chest to floor, it was still making me stronger than doing a bunch of push-ups on my knees. It worked!
Thanks Sherri!! I’ve noticed that sometimes even though I think a workout is exactly what I need to make me feel better, sometimes NOT working out and shopping or going home to relax is actually the therapy i need. That’s an interesting way to approach push-ups… I will definitely start working that into my training! I have started to do LESS pushups, but on my toes & chest to ground because you’re right- it does make me stronger in the necessary way to add on more reps. i’ve just been lazy with my pushups lately, but thanks for the reminder- i’ll do some today 🙂
Love this post! For 2016, I want to make a conscious effort to vary my workouts and not just dial it in. I consistently go to the gym, but sometimes I take the easy way out once I get there. I’m also think I want to do a 10K. Thanks for making me write that because now I have to 🙂
xoxo, Jenna
Boston Chic Party
Aw, thank you! That’s a great goal for 2016. I’ve been consistently working to make my time at the gym better- quality over quantity- and it’s really helped! Let me know what 10K you end up running, I’d love to finally do one of those! xo